Comparing Bang For Your Buck With Online Marketing Methods
By Gregory Smyth
Of course, if anyone in the world could tell you which internet marketing method would always get more conversions, and make more money per dollar spent, that person would be richer than Bill Gates! The answer to "Which internet marketing method is best for me?" is a resounding "That depends!". Here, we look at some of the most popular and long-standing forms of internet marketing, including article marketing, press release distribution, blogging and email marketing, how each of them can affect your website traffic and sales, and also their relative costs.
Article marketing is a method that costs little, but does represent a significant time investment. Alongside the cost, though, are some real results in terms of your search engine marketing and increasing your search engine ranking. In many cases, article distribution is free, however, you can make use of internet consulting services to help streamline the process. Many firms will write, distribute and monitor the results of your articles for you - relieving you of the time and effort investment.
Email marketing can also be a great investment, if you consider guidelines like making sure you send offers at typical shopping times, and ensuring that you use special offers and update requests to keep current subscribers interested.
Press release distribution has been around for much longer than the internet has, and it is still a very effective way of marketing your business. The prime goal, of course, is to have your event or news published in a newspaper or online journal, bringing you priceless publicity. However, distributing press releases can also be a valuable link building tool. Again, using the services of an internet consulting business will cost a little more, but be much more effective.
If you choose to save the money, but invest the time by writing your own press releases for distribution, there are a couple of guidelines to follow. You should send them frequently - being a regular contributor helps your standing. Use web analysis tools to determine your target keywords, and then use them in your press releases in the correct quantities. Also, try to appeal to buyers as well as journalists in your distributing press releases - use some of the emotive language that is found in your marketing materials, not only straight factual language.
Of course, the methods that will always offer the best return on your investment are those that didn't cost anything to begin. Blogging is one internet marketing method which does not cost anything, and for those who loathe the fact that the modern world forces you to become not only an expert in your field, but also at administration and marketing, this is a chance to reconnect with why you are in business. Blogging is not only a good way to connect with your customers, it is also a great link building strategy. If you include links in your blogs that will fetch backlinks, this will greatly assist your search engine marketing campaign. If you publish your opinions on products or services that are relevant to you, it not only helps build your company's personality and brand, but is a vital part of an web marketing strategy. And remember, it is free!